I'm writing a paper on (animated) GIFs and am trying to track down some of the most (in)famous. I suppose I am talking memes, but I'm more interested in the GIF as an archaeological reference point. I frequent sites like dump.fm, tumblr etc. so am quite tuned in to the glitchy/kitschy side of GIF culture. How theoretical have people got on these wonders of the web? How does one trace the history of an animated GIF? [more inside]
posted by 0bvious
on May 16, 2011 -
11 answers

Help Me Assemble an Architectural Reading List Filter: looking for written works by notable architects which are intended as introductions to or overviews of the 'proper' practice of architecture, as the author sees it. [more inside]
posted by brightghost
on Jan 6, 2011 -
15 answers

Sacrifice, speech, writing and art: I am interested in the different ways in which a sacrifice, a sacrament, a spoken word and a written word act as signifiers. The notion for instance that the sacrament, at the point of its acceptance, is understood as becoming the signified. What can you tell me / what has been written about the notions of sacrifice and their relationship to speech, art and the technologies of writing? [more inside]
posted by 0bvious
on Feb 24, 2010 -
8 answers

De-constructing 'code': I am looking for philosophical (from W. Benjamin through to post-structuralism and beyond) examinations of 'code'. That both includes the assumptions contained in the word 'code' and any actual objects or subjects that code is connected to - including, but not limited to: computer programming, cyphers, linguistics, genetics etc. [more inside]
posted by 0bvious
on Feb 2, 2010 -
16 answers

Innovative Books: I am looking to compile a list of the most innovative uses of the book format. Books that break the mould in their layout and design, perhaps books that use online systems to extend their content value or push their form into new places. I am most interested in narrative and theory, but any book that is interesting (artist books etc.) would be really appreciated. [more inside]
posted by 0bvious
on Nov 1, 2009 -
29 answers

I'm writing a paper which deals with architectural representation. In doing so I'm providing very brief explanations of plans, sections & elevations intended to bring a non-design crowd up to speed on these conventions. I'm looking for informative and quasi-poetic quotes to describe, contextualize and problematize these drawing types. What should I use? [more inside]
posted by serial_consign
on Oct 26, 2008 -
3 answers

Literary Darwinism: A relatively new field of evolutionary psychology / literary theory. What has recently been written in argument against it? [more inside]
posted by 0bvious
on Jun 3, 2008 -
7 answers

I am interested in the mimetic and narrative capacities of artefacts, how cultural remnants transmit information through time and how meaning is translated once an artefact is re-appropriated or examined from a new perspective. I have several avenues of study at the moment (a list in extended explanation), but would like some more ideas. Areas of critical theory, linguistics, evolutionary psychology and poetics are all relevant. [more inside]
posted by 0bvious
on Jan 27, 2008 -
12 answers

I am looking for well regarded books/scholarly papers about writing. Most specifically in the areas of Nonfiction (the essay style of article writing) and Children's Fiction (for a young adult audience).
Any tips? Go as far and broad as you can. I'll be off to the British library tomorrow, so the sky is the limit. [more inside]
posted by 0bvious
on Jan 9, 2007 -
6 answers

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